Feeling Lusty at the Gym? Why Your Workout May Rev Your Libido

The gym and the bedroom have more in common than you might think.

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After a long sweaty workout, you may crave a hot shower and a protein shake. Or you may be open to getting physical in a different way.

If you’ve ever felt a tad lusty at the gym—despite the poor lighting and funky smells, of course—you’re not alone. Studies suggest that a man’s testosterone levels often shoot up during a workout, causing them to be more attracted to those around them. So, with each squat or bicep curl, men are producing more of the hormone that revs up their libido.

In a 2012 study of women, researchers found a direct correlation between exercise and the female orgasm. “The most common moves associated with exercise-induced orgasm were abdominal exercises, climbing poles or ropes, biking/spinning and weight lifting,” Debby Herbenick, co-director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University’s School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, told Top News. In Herbenick’s study, published in a special issue of the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy, some 40 percent of women had experienced exercise-induced orgasm (without any sexual fantasizing) or exercise-induced sexual pleasure, on more than 10 occasions.

A boost in sexual appetite may also come from some of our most obvious senses: sight: Watching a man or woman pumping iron and breaking into a sexy, glistening sweat–check! Sound: Hearing a fellow gym-goer working hard, emitting sounds similar to what they would in the bedroom–check! Smell: Research shows that raw body odors elicit romantic feelings or other feelings of attraction–check!

Nichole Fratangelo is a freelance writer with a knack for food, fitness and health. When not hitting the gym, you can find her scouring the city for the best taco spots or catching up on the latest pop culture news. Find more of her work in Latina Magazine or at Latina.com and TheLatinKitchen.com.